"Negative ED experience"

I presented to the Emergency Department at FSH with my adolescent grand-child, who I am a full time carer for, due to ongoing increasing stomach pain over a five day period. Before seeing the doctor a urine sample was taken, in which the nurse informed my grand-child and I they were well hydrated. The initial doctor who attended to my grand-child was empathetic and acted in a professional manner, they came to the conclusion that my grand-child was constipated, due to feeling hard lumps in their stomach upon examination.

The initial doctor stated they would go speak to their supervisor regarding the matter. When the doctor returned with their supervisor some time later, the supervisor stated my grand-child had a soft stomach upon examination, contradicting the initial doctor, and stated to the other doctor that there didn’t appear to be anything seriously wrong from touching my grand-child’s stomach and from asking them how their schooling was going. The supervisor proceeded to tell the other doctor to do a blood glucose meter finger prick test, and if that was normal to send us home.

Before the prick test was done the Supervisor proceeded to tell me that the ED was for emergencies and next time to take my grand-child to the GP first, upon which I responded that I could not get into my GP for over a week and that my grand-child had been curled up on the ground in pain this morning crying, they stated that I take my grandchild to an urgent care instead, in which I stated I did not have $139 to cover the costs as I’m on a DSP, they then told me that there were plenty of bulk billing doctors that I could’ve gone to instead, in which I responded that I don’t think it’s appropriate to see just any doctor every time my grand-child is having a medical crisis, to which I felt the supervisor ignored me and walked off. The prick test came back normal and my grand-child was discharged, however, at the time of writing this, we are still waiting for the discharge paperwork to be emailed to us as stated by the staff.

I am concerned as I don’t believe the staff at Fiona Stanley Hospital have taken my grand-child’s presentation to the Emergency Department seriously, in regards to their stomach, as no medical imaging was done to assess what could be causing the pain in their stomach e.g. ultrasound, nor was any blood work done, to make an informed medical outcome. It seemed the decision to discharge my grand-child was made on the merit of a urine analysis, glucose prick test, touch of the stomach and based on the staff’s observation of my grand-child.

Upon leaving the ED my grand-child still expressed pain, and upon getting home they were still in pain, and was going in and out of the toilet. This is the first time I have taken my grand-child to the ED since they were a toddler, and they have now informed me based on this experience they never wants to attend the ED again. This is greatly disappointing as my grand-child was already fearful and distrusting of doctors, and this experience has only affirmed that belief due to them not feeling taken seriously regarding their pain.

I am also greatly disappointed as a grandparent and carer, in the way in which the supervising doctor spoke to me regarding my grand-child’s presentation as though it was a waste of the hospital’s time and resources, insinuating that I shouldn’t have brought them to the ED.

In my opinion, please do better by the children who present to this Emergency Department and to the Parents and Carers who take the time in a medical emergency to see to their child’s needs, as no one wishes to spend a whole day at the Emergency Department. Please also be mindful not to lecture parents and care givers regarding presenting to the ED, especially when all the appropriate test and investigative measures for the presentation have not been carried out.